In support of a good summary on the back of a book

18th September 2026

In support of a good summary on the back of a book

I recently found myself sighing when I picked up a novel in my local bookshop and discovered not a summary, but a raft of reviews by “renowned” authors, some of whom I knew, some I had never heard of (and, honestly, we do come across a LOT of authors in our line of business, so if I haven’t heard of a name, I do tend to wonder where they have come from).

Often the quotes are from authors who are with the same publisher, funny coincidence, that.

Very often the reviews on the back cover will be in praise of the author and not at all specific to the book in hand, which is really unhelpful. Actually, annoying.

I gather booksellers love a good review. But readers, I think, less so.

I published a post on a couple of well supported Facebook pages, just to gather information on what other reader felt, and 95% of readers lamented the slew of reviews instead of a good summary.

I think publishers may have missed a beat with this new trope. When I go into a bookshop, I am often carrying shopping in one hand, so there is a finely tune art to picking up a book one-handed. You are tempted by the cover, you then turn your wrist so you can discover the synopsis of the content on the reverse. However, you are confronted by a series of reviews. In order to find out what the book is about, you are forced to put down your bag or shopping and open the book to discover the required information lurking on the inside cover – or, if you are lucky – on a French flap. Opening the book multiple times over a period of days, in order to check the review, will add a level of wear and tear to the item; the cover on a paperback especially will start to curl. And that is not an item I would ultimately choose to buy.

I have seen one word reviews on books that could go either way, and probably don’t necessarily feel positive.. “Remarkable” isn’t always a draw, it could be tongue-in cheek: “fun”, “unpredictable” “challenging” “magisterial” (could mean imperious and dictatorial), staggering are all words that probably would NOT entice me to pick up a book. And I have seen all of these one-word reviews cited on the backs of books!

I hope this is a passing publishing fad. It doesn’t seem to serve the needs of readers and perhaps even puts people off buying.

The photos accompanying this post are simply random samples on our bookshelves.

What are your thoughts?

Tina for the TripFiction Team

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